KABUL, Afghanistan — The Taliban-run Ministry of Communications announced on Wednesday that it will cap prices on domestic phone calls and internet packages, promising a reduction of 14 to 36 percent in service costs.
Najibullah Hayat Haqqani, the Taliban’s acting minister of communications, stated that the new price for a one-minute domestic call will be set at 1.30 Afghanis (approximately $0.02), while calls between different networks will cost 1.40 Afghanis. This change reflects a 30 to 36 percent decrease compared to previous rates.
The ministry also announced a new monthly rate of 95 Afghanis (around $1.40) for a 1GB internet package, marking a 14 percent reduction from current prices. However, telecom providers will retain flexibility in structuring service packages and may compete on pricing.
Haqqani noted that phone calls will be billed in 30-second increments under the new rules. He added that telecom companies are required to update their systems and align with the new pricing structure within six weeks, with full implementation expected by early next year.
Currently, Afghanistan has 8,391 active telecom sites nationwide, up from 7,556 last year. The ministry aims to expand this network to 9,000 sites by next year, Haqqani said.
High internet costs and poor service quality have long been a source of frustration among Afghans. Afghanistan’s telecom sector comprises the state-owned Afghan Telecom and five private companies operating under Taliban rule.
